The Accidental War Obvert vs Lowpe

[Lowpe]

Hong Kong holds for now.

[Lowpe]

The fort did well defending against the paratroopers!

[Lowpe]

Bad news, the Yamato blunders into a type 6 mine which seems to have done very substantial damage. She will be out of the war...after sinking one fleet carrier and two battleships, plus heavily damaging another fleet carrier and several cruisers.

Not too shabby.

[Lowpe]

But this is all fluff...the night bombing continues.

Night Air attack on Hiroshima/Kure , at 106,58

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 26 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 20
J2M2 Jack x 2
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 7

Allied aircraft
Liberator II x 5

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Liberator II: 1 damaged

Aircraft Attacking:
5 x Liberator II bombing from 7000 feet
City Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
252 Ku S-1 with A6M3a Zero (4 airborne, 16 on standby, 0 scrambling)
4 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 6000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 5 minutes
204 Ku S-1/B with J2M2 Jack (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 9000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 9000.
Raid is overhead
52nd I.F.Chutai with Ki-45 KAIa Nick (2 airborne, 5 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 6000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 5 minutes



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Night Air attack on Hiroshima/Kure , at 106,58

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 12 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 20
J2M2 Jack x 2
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 7

Allied aircraft
DB-3M x 3

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Manpower hits 1
Fires 1737

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x DB-3M bombing from 5000 feet *
City Attack: 5 x 100 kg GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
252 Ku S-1 with A6M3a Zero (20 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
20 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 6000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 6000.
Raid is overhead
204 Ku S-1/B with J2M2 Jack (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 9000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 9000.
Raid is overhead
52nd I.F.Chutai with Ki-45 KAIa Nick (7 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
7 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 6000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 6000.
Raid is overhead



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Night Air attack on Hiroshima/Kure , at 106,58

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 25 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 20
J2M2 Jack x 2
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 7

Allied aircraft
DB-3M x 3

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
DB-3M: 1 damaged

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x DB-3M bombing from 5000 feet *
City Attack: 5 x 100 kg GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
252 Ku S-1 with A6M3a Zero (20 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
20 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 6000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 6000.
Raid is overhead
204 Ku S-1/B with J2M2 Jack (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 9000 , scrambling fighters to 5000.
Raid is overhead
52nd I.F.Chutai with Ki-45 KAIa Nick (7 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
7 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 6000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 6000.
Raid is overhead



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Night Air attack on Hiroshima/Kure , at 106,58

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 43 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 20
J2M2 Jack x 2
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 7

Allied aircraft
DB-3T x 4

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
DB-3T: 1 damaged

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x DB-3T bombing from 5000 feet *
City Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
252 Ku S-1 with A6M3a Zero (20 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
20 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 6000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 6000.
Raid is overhead
204 Ku S-1/B with J2M2 Jack (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 9000 , scrambling fighters to 5000.
Raid is overhead
52nd I.F.Chutai with Ki-45 KAIa Nick (7 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
7 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 6000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 6000.
Raid is overhead



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Night Air attack on Hiroshima/Kure , at 106,58

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 32 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 20
J2M2 Jack x 2
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 7

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 4

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 1 damaged

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 7000 feet
City Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
252 Ku S-1 with A6M3a Zero (20 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
20 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 6000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 6000.
Raid is overhead
204 Ku S-1/B with J2M2 Jack (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 9000 , scrambling fighters to 5000.
Raid is overhead
52nd I.F.Chutai with Ki-45 KAIa Nick (7 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
7 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 6000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 6000.
Raid is overhead



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Night Air attack on Hiroshima/Kure , at 106,58

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 11 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 20
J2M2 Jack x 2
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 7

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 3

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Manpower hits 1
Fires 2109

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B-24D Liberator bombing from 7000 feet
City Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
252 Ku S-1 with A6M3a Zero (20 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
20 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 6000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 6000.
Raid is overhead
204 Ku S-1/B with J2M2 Jack (2 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
2 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 9000 , scrambling fighters to 5000.
Raid is overhead
52nd I.F.Chutai with Ki-45 KAIa Nick (7 airborne, 0 on standby, 0 scrambling)
7 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 6000 , scrambling fighters between 0 and 6000.
Raid is overhead



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Night Air attack on Naha , at 95,66

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 36 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
E13A1 Jake x 2

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 6

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x B-24D Liberator bombing from 10000 feet
Airfield Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
Maizuru Ku T-1/C with E13A1 Jake (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 1 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 10000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 38 minutes

[Lowpe]

Some good news, South Dakota is listed as being sunk near Iriomote on the 3rd![:)]

[Lowpe]

Feb 8, 1943

Lightnings sweep Okinawa and do well down many and more to ops losses, I moved almost all the Jacks from there for a CAP trap on Manchuko that has yet to materialize.

Zeroes down 15 Mitchells and others over Peiping.

Pocket in Manchuko still holds, but some of the IJA blockers are in potential peril depending upon today's movement.

Night bombing targets another hex...

Night Air attack on Shimonoseki , at 104,57

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 12

Allied aircraft
Liberator II x 4
B-17E Fortress x 4

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Liberator II: 2 damaged
B-17E Fortress: 1 damaged

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x Liberator II bombing from 6000 feet
City Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb
4 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 6000 feet
City Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
91st I.F.Chutai with Ki-45 KAIa Nick (3 airborne, 7 on standby, 2 scrambling)
3 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 5000 , scrambling fighters between 5000 and 13000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 30 minutes



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Night Air attack on Shimonoseki , at 104,57

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid detected at 28 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 7

Allied aircraft
DB-3M x 6

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
DB-3M: 2 damaged

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x DB-3M bombing from 5000 feet *
City Attack: 5 x 100 kg GP Bomb
3 x DB-3M bombing from 5000 feet *
City Attack: 5 x 100 kg GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
91st I.F.Chutai with Ki-45 KAIa Nick (5 airborne, 0 on standby, 2 scrambling)
5 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 5000 , scrambling fighters to 11000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 55 minutes



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Night Air attack on Shimonoseki , at 104,57

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid detected at 37 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 7

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 6

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 2 damaged

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 6000 feet
City Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
91st I.F.Chutai with Ki-45 KAIa Nick (5 airborne, 0 on standby, 2 scrambling)
5 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 5000 , scrambling fighters to 10000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 33 minutes



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Night Air attack on Shimonoseki , at 104,57

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 32 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 3

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 3

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B-24D Liberator bombing from 7000 feet
City Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
91st I.F.Chutai with Ki-45 KAIa Nick (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 2 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 5000 , scrambling fighters to 10000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 45 minutes



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Night Air attack on Shimonoseki , at 104,57

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 33 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 3

Allied aircraft
DB-3T x 6

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x DB-3T bombing from 5000 feet *
City Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
91st I.F.Chutai with Ki-45 KAIa Nick (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 2 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 5000 , scrambling fighters to 10000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 41 minutes



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Night Air attack on Shikuka , at 126,43

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 12 NM, estimated altitude 3,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 5

Allied aircraft
IL-2 x 6

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
6 x IL-2 bombing from 1000 feet
City Attack: 2 x 100 kg GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
21st Sentai/A with Ki-45 KAIa Nick (1 airborne, 3 on standby, 1 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 8000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 39 minutes



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Night Air attack on Shimonoseki , at 104,57

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 35 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 3

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 3

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B-17E Fortress bombing from 6000 feet
City Attack: 8 x 500 lb GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
91st I.F.Chutai with Ki-45 KAIa Nick (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 2 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 5000 , scrambling fighters to 10000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 53 minutes



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Night Air attack on Shimonoseki , at 104,57

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid detected at 28 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 3

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 3

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B-24D Liberator bombing from 7000 feet
City Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
91st I.F.Chutai with Ki-45 KAIa Nick (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 2 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 5000 , scrambling fighters to 8000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 51 minutes



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Night Air attack on Shimonoseki , at 104,57

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid detected at 49 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 16 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 3

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 3

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Manpower hits 1
Fires 165

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x B-24D Liberator bombing from 6000 feet
City Attack: 10 x 500 lb GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
91st I.F.Chutai with Ki-45 KAIa Nick (1 airborne, 0 on standby, 2 scrambling)
1 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 5000 , scrambling fighters to 6000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 51 minutes



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Night Air attack on Shimonoseki , at 104,57

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 23 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 2

Allied aircraft
DB-3M x 5

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Manpower hits 5
Fires 456

Aircraft Attacking:
5 x DB-3M bombing from 5000 feet *
City Attack: 5 x 100 kg GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
91st I.F.Chutai with Ki-45 KAIa Nick (0 airborne, 0 on standby, 2 scrambling)
Group patrol altitude is 5000 , scrambling fighters to 6000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 50 minutes

[Lowpe]

Feb 10th, 1943

My timing was bit off for the CAP trap here, as up until yesterday I had 125 more Jacks LRCAP the troops, but the Tojo, Nicks, Zeroes still did well and the troops escaped to the east before being pummeled by the Soviet forces.

This was offset by Lightning and now Corsair sweeps over Okinawa.

[Lowpe]

A Jack Sentai does good work and downs a dozen or more Soviets here.

[Lowpe]

Some of the air battles...

[Lowpe]

Those IL2 are just really, really hard to shoot down.

[Lowpe]

Hong Kong falls...freeing up more Allied bombers to hit other targets, plus troops.

[Lowpe]

Feb 14th, 1942

My temporary pocket slowing down the Soviet advance here worked, albeit the pocket is broken -- but it did buy enough time for the 1st and elements of the 3rd Tank Division to dig in along with two infantry divisions to stall the Soviet push here.

[Lowpe]

Feb 15th, 1943

In a lot of ways I am using this game as an experiment...testing out risky strategies, for example trying to figure out the best battleship formation recently.

Here, I want to stage a CAP trap but get the Allied fighter CAP or Escorts without sweeping, and I tried a medium layered LRCAP to do so with fighters at 5, 10 and 15K. I might have gotten better results having some high up too I think. Certainly worth experimenting for as Japan, since destroying Allied fighters is such a priority and often times the Allies won't come out and play.

[Lowpe]

Allies rested their air force pretty much...so I almost got 1-1 in plane trades. Definitely need to fine tune this strategy, more firepower needed. Might be better with Nicks way up high.

[Lowpe]

Here the Allies attacked with the two LRP and the 3rd Marines by air grabbing all three bases (from a Naval Guard, a SNLF COY and a support unit or two). The attacks were well conducted with Beasts devastating the ground troops prior to landing, and all bases swept heavily by Allied fighters.

The Allies love their paratroops this game, and have wreaked lots of damage for relatively little risk.

Japan responded by bombarding the bases with battleships and cruisers and even E's, but the the total loss was one support squad disabled. A counter paratroop landing on one base was totally destroyed, while at a second base a combined paratroop landing and barge invasion got the troops ashore in decent shape...but the Allies already have 50 AV on the bases now.

Early on in the war, this low risk and initiative grabbing offenses are great against Japan as they force Japan to react and fight where the Allies dictate and consume up logistics and troops and most importantly time and attention. It should be the model of how the Allies conduct the war in 1943...rather than the large single point offensive. Rotating fronts makes the tactic even better, as the Allies should look to stage offensive int the Kuriles too.

In a normal game, Japan can easily take back the bases but it takes so much time and effort and supplies and fuel. This tactic executed in the South Pacific, Kuriles or Aleutians, SRA makes a great deal of sense to me. And of course Eric is the master and perhaps the originator of this style (see Obvert vs GreyJoy I recall).

[Lowpe]

Feb 18th, 1943

(Allied summer vacation over)

Soviets pushing hard on two salients...can Japan hold?

[Lowpe]

Near Tungha it is a tough tank battle!


Ground combat at 107,44 (near Tunghua)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 7848 troops, 72 guns, 850 vehicles, Assault Value = 579

Defending force 10872 troops, 125 guns, 279 vehicles, Assault Value = 379

Allied adjusted assault: 457

Japanese adjusted defense: 319

Allied assault odds: 1 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
456 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 20 destroyed, 17 disabled
Engineers: 15 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 7 (7 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
245 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 44 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 17 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Vehicles lost 81 (6 destroyed, 75 disabled)

Assaulting units:
209th Tank Brigade
208th Tank Brigade
73rd Tank Brigade
74th Tank Brigade
172nd Brigade
82nd Tank Battalion

Defending units:
7th Ind Engineer Regiment
3rd Recon Battalion
1st Tank Division
5th Garrison Unit
2nd Tank Regiment

[Lowpe]

And on the western salient, the 2nd Tank Division and a few friends manage to hold for now.


Ground combat at 102,42 (near Yingkow)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 54813 troops, 793 guns, 2317 vehicles, Assault Value = 2068

Defending force 26026 troops, 304 guns, 530 vehicles, Assault Value = 742

Allied adjusted assault: 1270

Japanese adjusted defense: 1911

Allied assault odds: 1 to 2

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

Japanese ground losses:
2290 casualties reported
Squads: 58 destroyed, 104 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 15 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 40 (8 destroyed, 32 disabled)
Vehicles lost 21 (2 destroyed, 19 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
1300 casualties reported
Squads: 34 destroyed, 107 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 48 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 41 (12 destroyed, 29 disabled)
Vehicles lost 214 (16 destroyed, 198 disabled)

Assaulting units:
77th Tank Brigade
43rd Tank Brigade
258th Rifle Brigade
206th Tank Brigade
171st Tank Brigade
9th Armored Car Brigade
187th Rifle Division
227th Rifle Brigade
1st Ussurii Tank Brigade
218th Tank Brigade
95th Rifle Brigade
61st Tank Division
21st Rifle Brigade
5th Mongolian Cavalry Division
1128th Howitzer Regiment
46th/302nd AA Battalion
624th Cannon Regiment
1120th Cannon Regiment
629th Cannon Regiment
263rd Howitzer Regiment
390th Cannon Regiment

Defending units:
77th Infantry Regiment
2nd Tank Division
58th/B Division
8th Manchukuo Inf Brigade
2nd Ind.Mixed Brigade
58th/C Division
Tonei Hvy Gun Regiment
5th Air Defense AA Regiment
5th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
11th Ind.Hvy.Art Battalion

[Lowpe]

Beasts hit 4 times at 2,000 feet destroying 16 engine factories despite a strong Nick night CAP.

Elsewhere the Allies push forward with disposable troops and ships, while Japan tries to slow them down.

Did wipe out the 3rd Marine Parachute unit...or at least most of it.[;)]

[Lowpe]

Feb 20th, 1943

It is hard to overstate the importance of the Tank Divisions in holding off the the Soviets. I haven't been able to reform the 3rd Tank Division yet, but the 1st and 2nd pretty much are responsible for stalling the Soviet thrusts.